Aiming apparatus for guns



E.'SCHNEIDER. AIMING APPARATUS FOR GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13, l9l8.

Patented Apr. 6, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1- Java/cm 24mm Mus m Q" E. SCHNEIDER.

AIMING APPARATUS FOR GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 1.3. 1918.

Patented Apr. 6, 1920.

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E. SCHNEIDER.

AIMING APPARATUS FOR GUN S. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13, 191B.

Patnted Apr. 6, 1920.

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E. SCHNEIDER.

AHVHNG APPARATUS FOR GUNS.

. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13, 1918. I 1 33 094 Patented Apr. 6, 1920.

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EUGENE SCHNEIDER, OF PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIG-NOR T0 SCHNEIDER & CIEL, 0F PARIS,

FRANCE, A LIMITED JOINT-STOCK COMPANY OF FRANCE.

AIMING arrnnarus Fol-t eons.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 6, 1920.

Application filed September 13, 1918. Serial No. 253,992.

- dent of 42 Rue d'Anjou, Paris, France, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Aiming Apparatus for Guns, whlch lnvention is fully set forth in the following specification.

There are in existence various means for converting, rapidly and without altering the elevating mechanisms, a single-trail gun carriage designed for firing at low positive angles of elevation into a gun capable of firing at high angles of elevation. My applications Serial Nos. 258,987 and 253,989, filed September 13, 1918, relate to guns of this kind. Another gun fulfilling the same conditions is described in my application Serial No. 250,859, filed August 21, 1918.

Said guns may be provided with an aiming apparatus having an independent line of sight, thatis to say, they may carry an aiming apparatus capable of being moved together with the gun cradle and the gun barrel when it is desired to correct the elevation of the gun barrel according to the situation of the target,'the said apparatus being capable of remaining stationary (with the 9 line of sight remaining directed on to the target) when the elevating mechanism is operated, or in other words, for the purpose of adding to the elevation due to the situation of the target the elevation corresponding to the distance or range of the said tar et.

ut as the conversion of these guns for the purpose of adapting them for firing at a greaterangle of elevation isefiected by raising the front section of the trail or raising the gun cradle, and consequently raising that part of the gun that supports the elevating mechanism, it becomes also necessary to adjust the initial position of the sighting apparatus relatively to the mechanism of independent line of sight when it is desired that the aiming apparatus shall retain the amplitude of its movement in the vertical plane which it possessed when firing at low angles of'elevation.

The present invention has now for its object to provide an improved apparatus which will allow of attaining this result by a very slight conversion of the support of the aiming apparatus, which is efieeted when the front sect-ion of the trail or the gun cradle is raised. This invention comprises also a very simple device for changing the apparatus for reading off the angles of elevation, in accordance with the change of position given to the support of the aiming apparatus.

The several improved constructional forms embodying the present invention are characterized by dividing the support of the aiming apparatus into two sections capable of being fixed in different angular positions by rotating the section constituting the support proper about the axis of the trunnions of the gun cradle. By raising the support proper through an angle equal to that of the raising movement of the front .trail section or of the gun cradle, relatively .to the other section that forms part of the actuating mechanism that has not been changed, the initialconditions are reestablished. Further, the usual drum for reading oil the angles of elevation is provided with an additional scale of which the beginning is shifted relatively to the normal scale, by

the amount of the angle through which the front'section of the trail or the gun cradle is raised. Further, the register mark that is fixed to the gun cradle is itself divided into two pointers rigidly connected together and formed on the ends of a bell crank lever fulcrumed on a fixed point of the gun cradle. These pointers can be brought in front of the ordinary scale or of the auxiliary scale as required.

A practical construction and various examples of application of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a trail gun carriage provided with the present improvements. The vertical field of firing of this gun can be increased by raising the front section of the trail by means of the apparatus forming the subject the trail.

3 is a view similarto Fig. 2 showing the support proper for the aiming apparatus, raised through an angle corresponding to the angle through which the front section oi the trail has been raised.

Fig. 4: illustrates a detail drawn to a arger scale in section on the line IVIV of Fig. 1.

Figs. 5 and (S are front elevations drawn to a larger scale illustrating the device for reading ofif the angles of elevation, the bell crank lever carrying the pointer being shown respectively in the position it occu pies when the ordinary scale is employed, and in the position it occupies when the auxiliary scale is employed.

' Fig. 7 is a section drawn to a larger scale on the line VII VII of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a section on the line VIII-VII1 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic side elevation illustrating a gun of the kind described in my application Serial No. 253,989, above 7 angles of elevation.

In the example of application illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, the carriage trail is divided into sections A and B pivoted together on a center C. The front section A, which for firing at low angles of elevation is normally maintained as a prolongation of the rear trail section B, is adapted for firing at high angles of elevation to be raised through an v angle (a) into the position shown in Fig. 2. A locking device serves to keep the assembled sections in this new relative position.

The gun carriage comprises in the usu-al manner an aiming apparatus having an independent line of sight. This apparatus comprises an arm D serving as a support for the aiming apparatus, movable about one of the trunnions e of the gun cradle and carrying a toothed sector (Z centered on the axis of the said trunnion. -The teeth of this sector are in engagement with the teeth of the pinion F fixed on the shaft f of'the elevating mechanism. The arm D carries a. second toothed sector (Z whose teeth are in engagement with the teetlrot a pinion G fixed on the actuating shaft ot' the usual device for reading oil? the elevations, carried by the gun cradle E. v It is to be understood that on actuating the shaft f, the arm D that sup ports'the aiming apparatus, and the cradle E with the gun barrel R movable on the latter. are moved together as a whole. By actuating the shaft (7, the pinion G is caused to'roll over the teeth of sector (Z which latniovements of the aiming apparatus.

ter remains stationary, so that the gun cradle and the gun barrel are raised together as a whole relatively to the aiming apparatus whose line of sight can remain directed on to the target.

According to this invention, the aiming apparatus I, and the usual device I for reading oil the ranges, instead of being supported directly by the arm D, are carried by an auxiliary support H which can be locked to the mm D in variable-positions the front trail section is raised for firing at high angles of elevation.

This fixingmay be effected in any suitable way, such for example, as shown in detail in Fig. 4, as by means of a spring bolt it carried by thearm Handadapted to be engaged at will in one or. the other-of two sockets land 2 formed in the are D Assuming-that the gun carriage is set for firing at low angles of elevation, and the auxiliary arm H is fixed upon the are D, the bolt It being on aged in the lower socket 1, then the arniH s ould be horizontal when the gun barrel is itself horizontal; or more strictly speaking. the aiming apparatus I, whose support is assumed to be at right angles to the arm H, should be vertical, the

line of sight being then horizontal.

It is to be understood that when the front trail section A is raised relatively to the rear trail section B so as to bring it into the position shown in Fig. 2,this causes the support for the aiming apparatus to move through the angle (a). If, in this initial position of firing at'high angles of elevation, the aiming apparatus had the inclination which has thus been given to it, there would no longer remain for the elevating operations a suitable amplitude for 1%:

I modifying the position of the auxiliary support H by engaging it in the socket 2 of the arc D the vertical position o'fthe' support for the aiming apparatus is reestablished as shown in Fig. 3, moving atthe same time the device for reading off the ranges into the corresponding position, without altering in any way the position of the sector (1 rela tively to thepinion 'In this way the same amplitude is available for getting therange as when firing at lowangles of elevation.

The device for rea'dingofi the elevations comprises in the usual manner a graduated plated sharing the movements of the pinion G, and provided with a scale j whose zerois situated opposite a pointer K, carried by the un cradle, when the latter is horizontal. Zccording to this invention, the plate J is provided inside the ordinary scale j with an auxiliary scale j whose beginning is shiftedrelatively to the beginning of the scale j, by the amount of the angle or through which the front trail section may be raised. In firing at high angles of elevation, the elevations are read of]? from said auxiliary scale. In order to avoid any error, the cradle E is provided with a registering device such as that shown in detail in Figs. 5 to 8. Two pointers K, K are carried by two arms L, L projecting from a spring knob M which is adapted to engage by means of a nib m in one or the other of two notches M or M formed in the support of the knob, said support being fixed to the gun cradle E. According as the knob M is engaged in the position shown in Fig. 5 or in the. position shown in Fig. 6, the pointer K or the pointer K is brought into use. The arm L is made of suitable length so that when the pointer K is in use it will be situated over the edge of the scale 9' The present invention is applicable to all kinds of means provided for raising the front trail section, or the gun barrel and cradle as a whole relatively to the trail, for the purpose of firing at high angles of elevation.

In the construction shown diagrammatically in Figs. 9 and 10, the trail head carries two pairs of bearing 0 0 into either of which the trunnions e of the gun cradle can be placed at will. These bearings are situated at different levels on an arc having as its center the axis of the shaft f of the elevating mechanism.

Fig. 10 shows the position of the arm Dd and the auxiliary arm H as a whole when the gun cradle E has been raised by shifting its trunnions from the bearings 0 into the bearings 0 In the construction shown diagrammatically in Figs. 11 and 12, the raising of the trail is'produced by raising the wheels of the gun carriage in suitable supports P.

Fig. 12 shows the gun adapted for firing at high angles of elevation, whereas Fig. 11 shows the gun in the normal position for firing at low angles of elevation. Here it will likewise be perceived that, in passing from one position to the other, the support of the aiming apparatus is inclined by the amount of the angle through which the front end of the trail has been raised, and that for maintaining the same amplitude of movement it is merely necessary to restore its vertical position by engaging the auxiliary support H in the socket 2 of the arc D Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is 1.-In combination with a gun carriage, means whereby the gun may be adjusted for firing at either high or low angles of elevation, and mechanism for indicating elevations comprising a member provided with scales having their zero points spaced by a distance corresponding to the different positions of adjustment of the gun.

2. In combination with a gun carriage, means whereby the gun may be adjusted for firing at either high or low angles of elevation, and mechanism for indicating elevations comprising a member provided with scales having their zero points spaced by a distance corresponding to the different positions of adjustment of the gun, and pointers for respectively cooperating with the said scales.

3. In combination with a gun carriage, elevating mechanism, means whereby the gun may be adjusted through a given angle to raise the line of fire without modifying the elevating mechanism, and means for indicating elevations comprising a member provided with two concentric scales having their zero points separated by an angle corresponding to said angle of adjustment of the gun.

4. In combination with a gun carriage, elevating mechanism, means whereby the gun may be adjusted through a given angle to raise the line of fire without modifying the elevating mechanism, and means for indicating elevations comprising a member provided with two concentric scales having their zero points separated by an angle corresponding to said angle of adjustment of the gun, and a member provided with two pointers movable into cooperative relation with the respective scales.

5. In combination with a gun carriage, means whereby the gun may be adjusted for firing at either high or low angles of elevation, aiming apparatus movable with the gun during such adjustment, means whereby said aiming apparatus may be brought to a given position parallel to its initial position in each of the different positions of adjustment of the gun, and means for indicating elevations comprising a member provided with scales having their Zero points separated by a distance corresponding to the different positions of adjustment of the gun.

6. In combination with a gun carriage, means whereby the gun may be adjusted through a given angle for raising the line of fire of the gun, aiming apparatus having an independent line of sight, a main support for the aiming apparatus, an auxiliary support for the aiming apparatus, means whereby said auxiliary support may be adjusted on said main support to diiiereut positions corresponding to the different positions of adjustment of the gun, and means for indicating elevation comprising a member having two scales with their zero points separated by an angle corresponding to said angle of adjustment of the gun.

7. In combination with a gun carriage, elevating mechanism, means whereby the gun may be adjusted through a given angle to raise the line of fire without modifying the elevating mechanism, aiming apparatus, a main support therefor movable with the gun during such adjustment, an auxiliary support for the aiming apparatus, means 15 whereby said auxiliary support may be fixed on said main support in different positions corresponding to the different positions of adjustment of said gun, and means for indicating elevations comprising two scales having their zero points separated by an amount corresponding to the-different positions of adjustment of said gun and two pointers movable into cooperative relation with said respective scales.

In testimony whereof I have signed this 25 specification.

EUGENE SCHNEIDER. \Vitnesses ANDRE Mos'rloknR, JOHN F. SIMONS. 

